Venezuelan weekly reopens, executives still charged

New York, August 30, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists is
concerned by ongoing criminal cases against two executives from the Venezuelan
newspaper 6to Poder, but welcomes a judge's decision to allow the weekly
to resume publishing. The paper's owner and a top executive were charged last
week with inciting hatred, insulting a public official, and publicly
denigrating women.

On Monday, Judge Denisse
Bocanegra lifted a week-old court ruling banning distribution of the paper
after it published a satirical article that was deemed offensive to women and
public officials, according
to the local press. However, defense lawyer Pedro Aranguren told
The Associated Press that the weekly was still prohibited from referring to
the case in print or from publishing any content deemed offensive to women or
public officials.

"We welcome the
lifting of the ban on 6to Poder as
the first step toward justice in the case," said
Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior Americas
program coordinator. "Prosecutors must now drop all charges against its staff."

The
newspaper's top executive, Dinorah Girón, was arrested on August 21 and
released two days later, Silvia Alegrett, president of the local journalist
group Colegio Nacional de Periodistas, told CPJ. But Girón must appear in court
every 15 days and is forbidden to talk to the media about the case, Alegrett
said. According to press
reports, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Leocenis García, the
newspaper's owner. García, who is in hiding, said he would turn himself in if
the newspaper was allowed to reopen, press reports said.

On
August 20, the weekly published an article titled "Las poderosas de la
revolución bonita" (The Powerful Women of the Beautiful Revolution), in which
several high-ranking female judgesand officials in President Hugo
Chávez's administration were described as having specific functions in a
"cabaret directed by Mr. Chávez," press reports said.
The story was accompanied by a photo montage that superimposed the officials'
heads onto the bodies of cabaret dancers.